The Carroll County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in support of a nearly $300,000 expenditure for the purchase of a new ambulance during their meeting Monday morning. According to Carroll County Ambulance Service Director, Jamie Wuebker, the department received three bids for the new rig: Feld Fire of Carroll; Danko Emergency Equipment of Snyder, Neb.; and Klocke’s Emergency Vehicles of Sterling, Ill. Wuebker says a committee created to guide the county through the purchasing process recommended the supervisors choose Feld Fire’s proposal.
The base bid from Feld Fire came in at $289,848. Supervisor, Rich Ruggles, asked if they had received an apples-to-apples comparison with these quotes and wanted to know how they determined what equipment was needed. Wuebker explains they looked at items that will extend the operational life of the rig.
Wuebker adds going with Feld Fire has the added benefit of supporting a local business. He says it also makes scheduling maintenance services much easier for his staff. The cost of a new ambulance has increased substantially in recent years, and Chairwoman, Stephanie Hausman, is concerned those prices are likely to increase again.
Supervisor, Gene Meiners, asked how they planned to dispose of their older rig. According to Wuebker, the return on used ambulances is extremely low, so he is in favor of keeping it as a transport rig or potentially using it as an upgrade for another Carroll County community service. Anticipated delivery for the ambulance is between December 2022 to February 2023.
